Many new moms want to work out, if for no other reason than to get rid of those few extra pounds pregnancy puts on. But the demands of dealing with an infant often put those goals on hold.

The solution: Work out with your baby.

Over the past several years, stroller fitness classes, which go by a variety of names, have been popping up at gyms, community centers and area parks. All you need is a baby, a stroller and a desire to get back in shape.

And for moms such as Lizanne Campbell, 26, of Chesterfield, Mo., the benefits for her 1-year-old, Grant, are even better than for her.

"I'd definitely say I've noticed a difference in my fitness level since I started," said Campbell, who began taking a stroller class called Buggin' to Be Fit in January. "But the best part is how much fun Grant has. He's so excited, laughing and giggling the whole time. He loves it."

Heather Poropat, 29, and Melissa Rademeyer, 27, saw the need for the classes. So they formed Buggin' to Be Fit as a way to work, work out and spend time with their babies.

Poropat's daughter, Madeline, is 17 months; Rademeyer's daughter, Hailey, is almost 1 year old. Both women say they were able to lose all their baby weight by working out, but working out has even greater benefits.

"Mentally and physically, it's a total stress relief," Rademeyer said. "Moms need time to dedicate to themselves."

Poropat said, "But this way there is no guilt in working out." She said sometimes moms feel they aren't dedicated to their kids if they spend time on themselves.

"This is also a great way to meet other moms and get parenting advice. And it sets a good example for the kids, to see the parents work out."

They took classes to get ideas on how to run Buggin' to Be Fit, read books and got their personal fitness certifications. Then they attended baby fairs and handed out fliers to moms they saw walking around the malls.

"We wanted something different for St. Louis," Rademeyer said. "We knew we'd have to go inside in the winter, but going around a circle in a gym is so boring. And it's bad for the knees and ankles."

So they joined forces with area malls to offer a stroller class inside the malls before stores open.

"It's so entertaining for the kids," Poropat said. "They love the doggies at the pet stores and seeing different sights."

But as the weather is getting better, they are heading outdoors to area parks.

Amy Jenkins, a group fitness instructor, knows all about the benefits of teaching stroller classes outdoors. She has taught classes at the Missouri Botanical Garden for two years, and now she and Melisa McPheeters are heading up Hot Mamas in Training.

"There's just so much to see outside, for the moms and the babies," said Jenkins, who has two sons, Cole, 3-1/2, and Jordan, 9 months. "Plus, you can really get going outside, where you are more confined inside."

For both, music is the key. Rademeyer or Poropat (they alternate who teaches) carries a backpack with a CD player and speakers on the stroller. The songs are a mix between parent-friendly (think Outkast) and kid-friendly (think Elmo).

In Jenkins' classes, the moms sing nursery rhymes to their kids. "We'll do jumping jacks to 'Five Little Monkeys' and these things I call step-ups to 'Hickory Dickory Dock.' "

Most classes require the infants to be at least 6 weeks old and allow kids up to 5 years. "It just depends on the child," Jenkins said.

As for the moms, classes are for all shapes and sizes and fitness levels, with the instructors offering ways to make moves less difficult. Jenkins offers two levels of classes. She describes her level 1 exercise as more of a jog, and the level 2 as more of a run.

Most, but not all, participants are stay-at-home moms who are also looking for a little social time.

"It's fun to get together with other moms," said Jenny Medd, 30, of O'Fallon, Mo., who takes a stroller class with her 7-month-old daughter, Avery. "It gets me out of the house. Plus, it's motivating to see other moms working out."

Different classes ask participants to bring different items, so ask ahead of time. Buggin' to Be Fit requires dumbbells and mats. Hot Mamas in Training asks that you bring resistance bands.

You need a stroller for both, but Hot Mamas wants you to have a jogging stroller, which is lighter and faster, for the more advanced class.

"The (jogging strollers) are just more safe when you are at a run," Jenkins said.

Buggin' to Be Fit begins with a warm-up and some stretching, with the strollers in a semicircle and the babies looking at each other rather suspiciously. Then participants get going with a brisk walk to one end of the mall, then a jog to the other. At that point they stop in front of the pet store to sing "How much is that doggie in the window?" and "B-I-N-G-O" while the moms do lunges and squats. Giggles and coos can be heard over the din of the barking.

Next, there's more jogging, even some sprints. The laughter is greatest, though, when the moms form a giant circle and then sprint to come together in a tight circle, then out, then in. More giggles and coos.

After that, it's more running, then a period where the women use hand weights to work the upper body. Then more cardio. For the cool-down, they gather in a carpeted section and get the babies out of the strollers for ab exercises. Sometimes they do some stretches for the babies, approved by the orthopedic office where Poropat works as a nurse, to round out the one-hour class.

At Hot Mamas in Training, the children usually stay in the stroller.

"Once a kid is out of the stroller, they want out of that stroller for good," Jenkins said. "So we try to interact with them as much as possible and hold their interest. It's really for them, too."

Jenkins says she realized how much her son was getting out of the classes when at 1-1/2 he started counting backward from 10.

"I guess he picked that up because that's how I count down the exercises," she says with a laugh. "It totally took me by surprise. You never know what to expect. It's fun that they get to know that exercise is important."

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